Improvement in breech-loading cannons



J. -B. PRESCOTT.

Machine Gun.

Witn essesZ /9;/M 44 Inventor.

Patented Jan. 28, 1862.

UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. PRESCOTT, OF WATERFORD, NE\V YORK.

IMPROVEMENT. IN BREECH-LOADING CANNONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,263, dated January 28, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH B. PRESCOTT, of Waterford, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Breech-Loading Cannon; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a top or plan view of a battery consisting of two pieces of cannon. Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the breech detached from the battery. Fig. 4 represents one of the bands by which the breech and barrel are held together. Fig. 5 is a partial side sectional view of one of the cannons ready to receive its load. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the hammer for discharging the gun.

The invention is applicable to single cann-ons or to batteries of two or more cannons. In the present instance the invention is shown as applied to a battery of two pieces.

That portion of the cannon next to the breech A is made square, as at B, and this square part has shoulders G, Which project beyond each side of the barrel D,around which shoulders the bands I) b are fastened, and which hold the barrels D and breech A together.

a: a; are trunnions for hanging the gun.

c are nuts on the threads of the bands, one of each of which are check-nuts to prevent the others from working loose by the action of the gun.

D D are nipples on which the caps are placed for discharging the gun. The nipples communicate with the powder-chamber E of the breech-piece A.

F is the lever by which the chamber E of the breech is turned up perpendicularly to load and back again to be discharged, its position being thus in a line with the bore of the gun when ready for discharge, as shown in Fig. 2. The lever is also parallel with the gun when being discharged, thus rendering it less liable to be struck by shots from an enemy. The lever F is attached to one end of the breech-piece.

G is the bore of the cannon in position for being fired. The rear end of the barrel is made concave, as at D so as to receive the cylinder-breech A. A portion of the breech, as at H, is made flat, by which an air-draft through the barrel of the gun is secured from below in the direction of the arrows after .a discharge and when the cylinder is turned so as to be loaded, as shown clearly in Fig. 5..

II I are bearings or shoulders upon the breech-piece, around which the bands I) are placed, these bearings being turned down to a depth corresponding with their width, so as to make the exterior surfaces of the bands and breech-piece flush or level with each other.

J J are pins on the breech-piece, which serve as stops to secure the exact position in line of the charge-chainberof the breech-piece and the bore of the cannon when being discharged. These stops come in contact with the square ends on the top of the barrel, and thus stop the breech-piece from rotating too far.

K are cross-bars which are placed in front of and against the shoulders G. The thickness and width of bars K are proportioned to that of the bands Z) l), and the ends of the bands pass through the said bars, as shown.

WVhen the breech-piece is in position for loading, the charge-chamber stands perpendicular, as shown in Fig. 5, and before being loaded there is a draft of air through the nipple-vent and chamber upward, the gas being lighter than the atmosphere, and with this draft for the air from below the gas within the breech is quickly removed.

L is the hammer to discharge the gun. It is pivoted between two braces M M at the rear of the cannon. Each hammer is so arranged as to strike its nipple when the lower part or arm of the hammer is pulled.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When the battery is to be loaded the lever is thrown down into a vertical position, which causes the rotary breech-piece and its chargechamber to assume the same position, and the charge-chamber may be then conveniently filled with powder and ball, either in a loose state or in the form of acartridge. The lever is then turned up into a horizontal position, and the rotary breech-piece is correspondently moved, and the charge chamber thereby brought into line with the bore of the cannon ready for discharge, which is accomplished by priming, placing a cap upon the nipple, and pulling the arm of the hammer in the usual manner. The breech-piece is then turned up again for a new load, and as the breech-piece moves its flattened portion H assumes the position shown in Fig. 5, and thus forms an airpassage from the under side of the gun up through the bore'. This draft of air carries out the gases and insures the cooling of the cannon, so that it may besafely fired with" great rapidity.

I do not claim, broadly, the invention of rotating or oscillating breech-pieces for cannons or fire-arms; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent The arrangement of the adjustable bands and bars with the breech-piece and shoulders C, in the mannerherein shown and described.

JOSEPH B. PRESCOTT. 

